Why Choose North Island College?

• Invaluable work experience. As a degree student, you’ll have the option of complementing your in-class studies with business-related paid employment through Co-operative Education. In addition, you’ll take several courses where you'll apply concepts from your studies to real workplace problems.
• Recognized credentials. NIC graduates are highly employable and qualifications earned through our programs are widely recognized by employers and other post secondary institutions throughout the province.
• International exchange opportunities. Through student exchange programs, you can study abroad in Germany, the US, Mexico, Poland and/or France, where you will help plan and implement international marketing-related projects.
• Dual Degree. As a degree student, you have the option of earning both an NIC degree and a licence, a three year undergraduate degree, from the Université Paris 13 (UP13). You will find program details in the curriculum section of this calendar. French language studies should be taken early in your program to prepare you to take UP13 courses taught in French.

Program Highlights

Qualified students can enter the degree program at any year level. Students may opt for a traditional "two plus two" approach, first completing a two year diploma in business administration, plus two years of additional study to obtain the Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA). Students can also apply coursework from a wide range of university level studies towards the degree program.

Third and fourth-year studies include e-business, market research, advertising and marketing communications, business-to-business marketing, project management, international business, and advanced entrepreneurship. To qualify for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree credential, a student must complete all required program courses and electives (or equivalent transfer credits) for a total of 120 credit hours. 

Career Opportunities

Graduates may consider careers in retailing, marketing management, market research, advertising, and public relations in both public and private sector organizations. Some graduates may opt to pursue their own business ventures. BBA graduates may pursue professional development opportunities through organizations such as the Canadian Institute of Marketing, the Canadian Marketing Association, the Canadian Public Relations society, and many more specialized professional organizations.

Credit for Prior Learning

North Island College accepts course transfer credit from a wide range of post secondary institutions and professional organizations. Detailed course transfer information for BC institutions may be found by accessing the BC Transfer Guide at www.bccat.bc.ca. Students possessing other applicable prior learning may request prerequisite waivers or may opt to take any Business Administration course offered on a distance basis in the current year.

Co-operative Education

Co-operative Education integrates paid, relevant work experience with academic study. The practical experience gained on these supervised, structured work terms is an integral part of the student’s education. The result is graduates with increased confidence, new employment contacts, and practical real-world experience locally, on the Island, provincially or internationally.

BBA degree students need to apply for Co-operative Education in November of their second year of study. Among the eligibility criteria, students must have a GPA of 2.33 or higher in the required Business Administration program courses and complete a Co-op interview. Students can be awarded a Co-operative Education designation on their degree if they successfully complete EMP100, BUS197, BUS297, and BUS397 (in addition to their program course work). Note: these courses cannot be used as program electives and have registration fees in addition to the program registration fees.

Students may choose integrated or consecutive work terms that must not end in the program's last semester. For more information on work terms, eligibility requirements, sample job opportunities, and wages contact Co-operative Education.
 

Admission Requirements

1. C+ in one of Provincial English 12, NIC ENG 060, ENG 098, or equivalent; or English assessment; and
2. C+ in Foundations of Math 11; or C in one of Principles of Math 11, Pre-Calculus 11, Applications of Math 12, NIC MAT 053; or Math assessment;
3. Or, permission of the department.

To Be Successful

• Students enrolling in business administration programs should possess basic computer skills in word processing and file management.
• Students are encouraged to consult with a business administration faculty member if they are unsure of their level of math preparedness for any of the business courses.

Program Requirements

Year 1

• BUS 112 Introductory Financial Accounting I
• BUS 113 Introductory Financial Accounting II
• BUS 132 Mathematics of Finance
• BUS 150 Administrative Principles
• BUS 162 Basic Marketing Principles & Practices
• BUS 170 Computer Applications for Business
• ECO 110 Principles of Microeconomics
• ECO 111 Principles of Macroeconomics
• ENG 160 Effective Organizational Writing
• MAT 115 Introduction to Statistics or BUS 152 Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management

Students may exit with a Business Administration Certificate

Year 2

• BUS 221 Commercial Law
• BUS 260 Consumer Behaviour
• BUS 264 Professional Selling
• BUS 265 Retail Management
• BUS 267 Services Marketing
• BUS 293 Business Simulation
• ENG 115 Essay Writing and Critical Analysis
• MAT 115 Introduction to Statistics or BUS 152 Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management

Plus 2 electives totaling 6 credits*

Students may exit with a Business Administration Diploma, Marketing Option

Year 3

• BUS 217 Management Accounting
• BUS 350 Organizational Behaviour
• BUS 361 E-Business
• BUS 362 Market Research
• BUS 368 Advertising & Marketing Communications
• BUS 380 Globalization and International Business

Plus 4 electives totaling 12 credits*

Year 4

• BUS 430 Business-to-Business Marketing
• BUS 450 Project Management
• BUS 452 Advanced Topics in Entrepreneurship
• BUS 492 Strategic Management
• PHI 260 Business Ethics
• ENG 260 Advanced Communications and Professional Writing

Plus 4 electives totaling 12 credits*

*Note: Electives may be chosen from any non-business courses that transfer to BC degree granting institutions or any other NIC business courses.  At least four electives must be non-business and at least five electives must be at the 200 level or higher.

Completion Requirements

Fifty percent of the program must be completed at North Island College.

DUAL DEGREE - Universite Paris 13 and NIC

Completing the Dual Degree Program gives students the opportunity to earn a three-year undergraduate degree, called a licence, from the the Université Paris 13 (UP13) and a four-year Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA) from NIC. Students who have completed at least the first two years of the BBA program may take the following courses over two semesters at UP13 to earn their UP13 licence in the Retail Banking (Banque, Finance, Assurance) or Management (Sciences de Gestion) option.

Retail Banking Option

Management Option

UP13 courses completed by NIC students as part of the dual degree program may be used to fulfill the requirements of an NIC BBA according to the following rules:

1. Credit for UP13 courses will be transferred to NIC using the formula: ECTS credits ÷ 2 = NIC credits
2. Credits earned by completing courses in UP13’s Economie et Gestion licence program, or by completing courses in any UP13 graduate level business program, may be used to meet the following requirements of the NIC BBA degree:

• BUS 390 and BUS 490
• BBA electives that transfer to BC degree granting institutions
• BBA electives at the 200 level or higher
• BBA non-business electives
• A maximum of 15 additional credits approved the Chair, Business Administration Department

Note: Students planning to complete the dual degree program should normally include French language courses in the first and second year of their business studies at NIC. For information on how this can be done, please contact the Chair, Business Administration.